Print The City Section announced Wednesday that the Narbonne High football team has been banned from the playoffs for the 2025 2026 and 2027 seasons because of rule violations and all the school’s sports programs have been placed on probation through the 2027-28 school year Narbonne also has to vacate its 2024 football title Narbonne’s football team was found to have ineligible players last season, but the revelation came after the playoff seedings had been announced forcing the City Section to let the Gauchos compete Narbonne having to forfeit all its wins last year in football means Birmingham's win streak against City Section teams is back alive at 49 consecutive wins Twice Birmingham has picked up forfeits against Narbonne _ in 2024 and 2018 The City Section determined that Narbonne violated CIF Bylaw 202 (Accurate Information) and CIF Bylaw 510 (Undue Influence, Pre-Enrollment Contact) during the football season. Narbonne also was punished for ineligible players in 2018 and 2019. Last fall a group of Marine League coaches sent a letter to the City Section alleging rule violations and refused to play the Gauchos in protest The City Section has told Narbonne it can appeal the postseason ban after the 2025-26 school year “depending upon the school’s documentation of successful compliance of all CIF bylaws.” City Section imposes three-year ban from playoffs on Narbonne football and Gauchos must vacate 2024 title. School can appeal after 2025-26 school year. pic.twitter.com/8iuvnejC99 The school, which also had problems with forfeits in other sports, hired a new football coach in Doug Bledsoe, who has vowed to rebuild the program. Eric Sondheimer is the prep sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He has been honored seven times by the California Prep Sportswriters Assn. for best prep sports column. High School Sports Subscribe for unlimited access Site Map California) football program is going to be sitting out the playoffs for three years The 2024 LA City Section Open Division champs have been found guilty of violating multiple eligibility rules that have resulted in the Gauchos being stripped of last season championship and being banned from the postseason for the next three years The program was also stripped of all of its seven wins from last season “violated CIF bylaw 202 (Accurate information) and CIF bylaw 510 (Undue influence pre-enrollment contact) during the 2024 football season.” There was a lot of scrutiny around the Narbonne program throughout the ’24 season Gardena and San Pedro — decided to forfeit games rather than play the Gauchos Narbonne would play San Pedro in the Open Division championship with the Gauchos rolling to a 75-31 win behind 4-star quarterback Jaden O’Neal O’Neal announced he was moving to Oklahoma to enroll at Mustang High School which puts him closer to the University of Oklahoma He has given his verbal commitment to the Sooners Shortly after losing to Pacifica (Oxnard) in the CIF 2-AA state semifinals Narbonne head cocah Malcolm Manuel resigned former Pasadena head coach Doug Bledsoe took over the Gauchos Narbonne will be allowed to appeal the playoff ban for the 2026 and 2027 seasons but only at the end of the 2025-26 season the entire athletic department was placed on probation until the 2027-28 school year Former Pasadena High School football coach Doug Bledsoe has accepted the challenging position of head coach at Narbonne High School which was recently banned from postseason play for three years following rules violations Narbonne High School’s football team has been barred from CIF City Section postseason play until 2028 and forced to forfeit its 2024 City Section Open Division championship after an investigation revealed the program violated City Section and Los Angeles Unified School District bylaws The entire Narbonne athletic department was placed on probation from Wednesday through 2028 after the CIF City Section investigation found that the school had violated two bylaws: providing inaccurate information about student-athletes and making contact with potential student-athletes before they enrolled The violations involved seven ineligible players participating in 14 football games in 2024 including the City Section Open Division championship game where Narbonne defeated San Pedro 75-31 who compiled a 10-20 record during his three-year tenure at Pasadena High School from 2013 to 2016 expressed optimism about the opportunity despite the circumstances it’s really a privilege and honor to come back to the City Section I’m a City guy born and raised,” Bledsoe told the Los Angeles Times Bledsoe faced similar rebuilding challenges The Bulldogs went 1-9 in his first season before gradually improving “Our first year was dedicated to setting the foundation for the program It was a matter of coming in and understanding we had to change the culture,” Bledsoe told Hey SoCal in 2014 during his second year coaching the Bulldogs Bledsoe’s most notable achievement at Pasadena High was leading the team to a 13-6 victory over rival Muir in the Turkey Tussle during his final year — Pasadena’s first win over Muir since 1995 who graduated from Dorsey High School where he was a three-year varsity letterman as well as serving as an assistant at Salesian resigned after the 2024 season and now coaches at Cabrillo High in Long Beach The team’s quarterback and several other players deemed ineligible have transferred to other schools leaving Bledsoe with a significant rebuilding task “It means our staff and the kids who stay get an opportunity to build a new foundation love the new administration coming in,” Bledsoe told the Los Angeles Times Narbonne will be allowed to appeal the penalties and postseason ban after the 2025-26 school year Bledsoe expressed a long-term commitment to the program: “I intend to be at Narbonne until my grandson plays for me and graduates,” he told the Los Angeles Times More » The ‘Humming-Byrd’ House: A Mid-Century Storybook Ranch Surrounded by Nature Pasadena Now has been published daily since April 2004 and is among the very oldest continuously operated community news websites in the U.S Pasadena Now strives to publish a full spectrum of news and information articles in service to the entire community The publication will remain free to readers and will not erect paywalls Copyright © 2025. Pasadena Now | Terms of - Service | Privacy Policy | CA Notice of Collection RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds offer another way to get Pasadena Now content Subscribe to our feeds to get the latest headlines summaries and links back to full articles – formatted for your favorite feed reader and updated throughout the day Gardena and San Pedro football coaches wrote a letter to the section office declaring a boycott against league member Narbonne The letter alleges that Narbonne players are getting "monetary incentive and housing arrangements," Carson coach Mike Christensen said The coaches came through on their pact. Narbonne didn't play one Marine League game and received a forfeit victory for each game, but rolled into the Open Division playoffs without playing a game since September 27 before Narbonne was able to play for the first time in 49 days against Dorsey High on Friday a letter from City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos was sent to Narbonne principal Dr The letter obtained by High School on Si reveals findings from an investigation by Los Angeles Unified School District Region South and the City Section office "...findings to date show that common addresses and utility meter numbers were used by different families to establish residency for their enrollment into Narbonne High School when families were notified by District personnel that documentation appeared fraudulent they submitted Student Housing Questionnaire forms ("SHQ") claiming that they were homeless are evidence of violations of Bylaw 202." The Daily Breeze reported the following players didn't play in Friday's playoff game against Dorsey "Narbonne was without seven players — receivers Allen Blaylock and Xavier Owens defensive backs/receivers Hakim Frampton and Nazarus Williams athlete Damari Hall and defensive lineman Keytrin Harris." since the findings came after the playoff pairings were announced Narbonne is able to still compete this postseason without the ineligible players Narbonne will be banned from postseason participation in 2025 "...that the uncle of a former Narbonne High School football player is the director of a seven-on-seven team known as HellStars Documentary evidence indicates pre-enrollment contact with this individual that was never disclosed when certain students enrolled at Narbonne High School in violation of Bylaw 510 (undue influence/pre-enrollment contact)." The letter also states the investigation is still ongoing It's possible that more information can surface before Narbonne's next game at home against Birmingham Charter on Friday in the Open Division semifinals Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App TAREK FATTALTarek Fattal has been covering high school sports since 2015 in Southern California and primarily in Los Angeles covering notable athletes such as Bronny James He was with the LA Daily News for eight years which included being the beat reporter for the UCLA men's basketball team Tarek can be seen on TV regularly on CBS/KCAL as a sports analyst with Jim Hill Print Narbonne High School’s football program is heading toward an uncertain offseason after the resignation of coach Malcolm Manuel on Thursday Manuel was the coach for four seasons, helping rebuild the Gauchos after the exodus of players after the program was banned from the 2019 and 2020 playoffs The rebuild culminated in a City Section Open Division championship this season The City Section and LAUSD investigated player eligibility at Narbonne football after Marine League rivals refused to play the Gauchos. Manuel said everything has taken a toll on him, leading to his decision to step down as football coach but continue as a teacher at the school. His successor could face a similar challenge to what he inherited in 2021, with a depleted roster. “It was a lot that went down this year,” Manuel said. “I had multiple conversations with my family.” As for the future of the program, Manuel said, “It will have to be addressed and fixed moving forward. The uncertainty of what’s next for the program is not only weighing on me but parents and kids.” Print Four Marine League football coaches signed a letter sent to City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos threatening to boycott games against Narbonne unless action is taken against the Gauchos over an alleged violations of rules The Marine League season was scheduled to begin Friday night “The Marine League is coming together for a good reason,” he said Monty Gilbreath of Gardena and Corey Walsh of San Pedro wrote continue to subject our athletes to an environment where unethical behavior is rewarded and their safety is jeopardized we will not schedule or participate in any football games against Narbonne Our programs deserve an even playing field and we believe that these steps are necessary to restore the principles of fairness safety and competition within our league.” Grajeda said he had a meeting with his players on Wednesday and told them what he was going to do. “The district has an opportunity to act now,” he said. “This is my decision as a head coach. I let them know what I believe in. The district ought to do their job. This not a fairy tale story. It’s my time to stand up. I want to stand up for something good.” What's happening in the Marine League is a sign of frustration reaching its boiling point on transfers. The CIF needs to give those trying to run education-based programs from local communities a path forward and a belief there's someone watching out for them. It remains to be seen what action, if any, school principals or the Los Angeles Unified School District will take against the four football coaches. In a statement, an LAUSD spokeswoman said, “Los Angeles Unified is aware of these allegations and will work with CIF to address any findings, as appropriate.” Lagos said she received the letter this week, spoke to school administrators and told them the City Section does not support the coaches. “Until something is uncovered or they provide documents of something, they’re saying someone has committed a crime without going through the proper channels,” Lagos said. Local District South Operations is in charge of all five high schools and conducted an investigation of Narbonne in 2019. My suggestion for Marine League: all hands on deck meeting. Coaches. Administrators. LAUSD. City Section. Talk it out. Get commitments. Air out the concerns. Point has been made. Find a solution. There were meetings Friday afternoon involving LAUSD officials on how to proceed. Lagos said Banning will be charged for officials fees and any expenses Narbonne had for canceling the game. San Pedro already changed its homecoming, which was scheduled for next week against Narbonne, to another opponent. Trent Cornelius, the LAUSD athletics coordinator, did not return a message seeking comment. All-City linebacker Mark Iheanachor, who has been at Narbonne for four years, wrote on X: “Taking away opportunities from us kids this is crazy.” Jim Rose, the coach at Birmingham whose team has won 42 consecutive games against City Section opponents, said, “They took a stand together. Whenever four teams from the Marine League can work together, that’s probably a good thing. If we were going to play Narbonne in the playoffs, that would be tough not to play them.” Coach Malcolm Manuel and his players are savoring the program’s return to glory Oklahoma-bound quarterback Jaden O’Neal completed 14 of 21 passes for 396 yards and six touchdowns and ran for a 35-yard score as the Gauchos buried Marine League rival San Pedro under an avalanche of points in the second quarter on the way to a 75-31 blowout in the Open Division final Friday night at El Camino College After an 18-yard touchdown throw from Seth Solorio to Elias Redlew gave the third-seeded Pirates a 10-7 lead on the first play of the second quarter Narbonne erupted for six unanswered touchdowns by halftime to take a commanding 48-10 lead to the locker room Narbonne quarterback Jaden O’Neal threw for 396 yards and six touchdowns in the City Open Division final at El Camino College on Friday (Steve Galluzzo / For The Times) “It’s nothing short of magical to finish the year like this,” Manuel said we knew we’d play one of them [Carson or San Pedro] in the finals Narbonne was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct numerous times following touchdowns There were no postgame handshakes as the teams were ushered to opposite end zones — one to celebrate another championship Nazarus Williams caught two touchdown passes and finished with six receptions for 159 yards Freshman backup quarterback Kingston Stokely threw a touchdown with 2:35 left and the clock running Redlew caught a 62-yard touchdown pass from Marcus Jeronymo to close out the scoring as time expired and no extra point was attempted Mark Iheanachor gave Narbonne a 7-3 lead on a six-yard run late in the first quarter and later scored on a 45-yard interception return Michael Ashford had touchdown receptions of 64 and 36 yards and Trey’Shaun Jackson scored on an 84-yard punt return as Narbonne captured its 11th section crown tying Carson for third most all time and its first since 2018 (a title that was later stripped) Narbonne had 24 players transfer into the program since spring ball, prompting all four league opponents to forfeit their games against the Gauchos because of alleged rules violations. Then, after waiting 49 days between games, Narbonne got word before its playoff opener against Dorsey that seven players were declared ineligible Several Narbonne coaches wore sweatshirts with those players’ numbers displayed Friday Another player had to sit out Friday’s championship game after being ejected in the game with Birmingham but the Gauchos had all the players they needed This is the second time Narbonne’s football program has faced sanctions for ineligible players. The program was banned from the playoffs in 2019 and 2020 and had its 2018 championship stripped under previous coach Manuel Douglas. Seven days after stopping Birmingham’s record 48-game win streak versus City opponents with a 27-7 semifinal victory, the top-seeded Gauchos (7-6) left no doubt that, despite all the controversy swirling around the program, they are the best team in the section. Understanding there is no possibility of a repeat as Narbonne will be banned from the playoffs next fall because of City sanctions for using ineligible players, Manuel’s message was to concentrate on the present, not an uncertain future, and his team embraced it fully. “It was all about expressing ourselves and showing our dominance,” O’Neal said. “I have a high level of confidence in my wide receivers. They did a great job getting open. It was lots of repetition in practice and keeping our chemistry even all that time we weren’t playing.” San Pedro, which overcame a 24-0 deficit in the third quarter to beat Carson in overtime in the semifinals, was seeking its seventh City title and first under coach Corey Walsh. “Jaden did a phenomenal job and even though we were up big at half we stressed finishing the job because we saw what they did last week,” Manuel said. “Initially it was tough not being able to play, we had to make sure all of the players were committed, but in the end it made us stronger.” Print Doug Bledsoe was asked why he wanted to become the head coach at Narbonne a school that won’t be eligible for next season’s City Section football playoffs after sanctions for playing ineligible players it’s really a privilege and honor to come back to the City Section Narbonne won the Open Division title, then was punished for having seven ineligible players It was the latest issues involving a football program that lost most of its players and was banned from the 2019 and 2020 playoffs following a similar situation. Bledsoe knows he’ll be inheriting another depleted team. “It means our staff and the kids who stay get an opportunity to build a new foundation,” he said. “I love the area, love the new administration coming in.” Bledsoe served as an assistant last season at Salesian and before that was an assistant at Burroughs. He’s also coached at Compton College and Pierce College and is a Dorsey graduate. He said, “I intend to be at Narbonne until my grandson plays for me and graduates. He’s 3 years old.” This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com The Tritons (11-4) advance to the state bowl game next Friday at 4 p.m. against Sacramento Grant at Saddleback College. “Our special teams early in the year, especially against Inglewood, was atrocious and there’s no reason for it because we practice it so much,” Moon said. “We watched film of Narbonne and thought we could take advantage of that.” Anthony Macias knifed through the line to block a punt at the goal line, and Max Magana recovered the ball in the end zone to give Pacifica a 14-6 lead late in the first quarter. On its next possession, Narbonne was forced to punt from its own 25-yard line and this time Deon Hasley got the block. Magana pounced on the loose ball at the 22 and, four plays later, Isaac Magana kicked a 32-yard field goal to put the home team ahead 17-6. “Coach Moon takes pride in special teams, and so when I saw them on the floor, I had to pick them up,” said Max Magana, a nickel back who also had five pass breakups on defense. “I like when I’m tested in the secondary. Now we have to keep our foot on the pedal and make sure that we win next week.” Narbonne pulled to within 17-14 on Jamari Todd’s five-yard touchdown run and Jaden O’Neal’s conversion run, but Pacifica marched 66 yards in 12 plays and Isaac Magana booted his second field goal — a 23-yarder — as time expired and the Tritons took a 20-14 lead into halftime. After recovering a fumble on a pooch kick, Pacifica tacked on a 21-yard field goal by Isaac Magana — his third of the night — to make it a 17-point margin with 4:06 left. One week after throwing for 396 yards and six touchdowns while running for another score in the City Section Open Division final versus San Pedro, Oklahoma-bound junior O’Neal was pressured all night and completed 14 of 32 passes for 199 yards. His longest throw was a 65-yard touchdown to Tre’Shaun Jackson in the first quarter. Senior receiver Michael Ashford had five catches for 53 yards for Narbonne. “We wanted to pressure him with our four-man front and put them into guaranteed pass situations,” Moon said. “This team is battle-tested and we’ve won eight in a row. Our schedule has 100% contributed to us being where we are.” The Tritons are one win away from a second state bowl championship, having won the 2-A title in 2019 to complete a 15-1 season two weeks after claiming the Southern Section Division 6 crown under Moon. That season Pacifica beat another City Section team, Birmingham, in the regional bowl. This might well be Moon’s most talented team. The Tritons (11-4) avenged a Marmonte League setback to St. Bonaventure to capture the Southern Section Division 4 title last week. Their other three losses are to schools in higher divisions. The Gauchos (7-7) ended the season 1-3 on the field against Southern Section opponents, losing to Los Alamitos, Culver City and Pacifica while beating L.A. Cathedral — a result that was changed to a forfeit defeat after an investigation determined Narbonne used ineligible players. The Gauchos are banned from the playoffs next year. Asked if he’ll finish his prep career at Narbonne, O’Neal said he did not know. “I’m not sure — I’ll speak with our coaching staff in the exit meetings,” O’Neal said. “The odds were stacked against us but we proved people wrong. We felt confident coming out of the half but ultimately they out-disciplined us. We’re more athletic, but the little things added up and we couldn’t overcome our mistakes.” It remains to be seen how many players will return. “Jaden is a gamer and did everything we expected of him,” said Gauchos coach Malcolm Manuel, who thanked his players for their commitment. “I’ve had Mark Iheanachor for four years, he gave it everything he had and I’m excited to follow his career at SMU.” Despite standout efforts from Shane Rosenthal and Brady Smigiel, Newbury Park can’t hold back San Diego Lincoln in a 34-27 loss. As for next fall, Manuel is confident the returning players will buy in. “They’ll for sure compete,” he said. “We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores. Playing a 10-game season — which we didn’t get to do this year — is the motivation. We’ll get back to the drawing board.” Narbonne had 24 players transfer into the program since spring ball, prompting all four league opponents to forfeit their games against the Gauchos and allege rule violations. Seven players were declared ineligible for the postseason. Print After waiting 49 days to play a high school football game because four Marine League coaches forfeited games rather than face a team they believe violated rules Narbonne received more bad news before its City Section Open Division playoff game against Dorsey on Friday night The City Section declared seven Narbonne players ineligible City Section Commissioner Vicky Lagos said following a joint investigation by the Los Angeles Unified School District and the City Section Narbonne defeated Dorsey 47-13 to advance to Friday’s semifinals against Birmingham at home The City Section transfer portal has been updated with the official reasons for five Narbonne players being declared ineligible. pic.twitter.com/vpuOJ7isAC Lagos said Saturday morning that the infractions will result in Narbonne being banned from next year’s playoffs and that because the school’s sports program is already on probation for using an ineligible girls’ volleyball player Narbonne will have to forfeit all games that the players participated in and the players will be ineligible next season for at least 10 games unless they file a successful appeal A letter obtained by The Times that was sent to Narbonne’s administration said a group of players was in violation of City Section bylaw 202 which deals with providing fraudulent information bills and utility meter numbers” to establish residency for enrollment at Narbonne Another allegation involves transfers who played for a seven-on-seven team run by the uncle of a former Narbonne player The violation would be pre-enrollment contact that was not disclosed The actions taken by the protesting coaches prompted LAUSD to investigate according to Carson coach Mike Christensen Narbonne has had 24 transfers into the football program in the last year more than any other school in the City Section “I’m glad they looked into it,” Christensen said ‘Can we look into this a little closer?’ It’s about the ethics of the City Section.” 1 seed for the eight-team Open Division playoffs and will continue The other semifinal will have Carson hosting San Pedro This is the second time Narbonne’s football program has faced sanctions for ineligible players. The program was banned from the playoffs in 2019 and 2020 and had its 2018 championship vacated. Print When you get two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a high school football game you are suspended for the next game — unless the official rescinds the call it was learned the officials refused to rescind two celebration penalties called against Edison running back Julius Gillick last week after he scored six touchdowns against Vista Murrieta making him ineligible to play against Simi Valley on Friday in the Southern Section Division 3 final One penalty was for spinning a football in the end zone and another for coming onto the field late in the game without a helmet to celebrate a play by the backup running back two Narbonne players who were ejected last week after penalties will be able to play Friday in the Open Division final against San Pedro the referee told players that everyone had received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty — which he later said stemmed from concerning behavior he observed before the game — meaning a second would get them ejected Moe said Tuesday he was grateful for the second chance to play. Asked for any lesson learned, he said, “To keep my composure and stay calm at all times.” the City Section is proposing penalties to schools for forfeiting league games The first reading of the proposal will be held this month by the City Section Executive Committee and Board of Managers It includes possible exclusion from the postseason for schools forfeiting as a first offense The City Section recognizes reasons for forfeiting But what the coaches did left the City Section with no options on how to respond There's a series of proposals coming in City Section. First penalties for forfeiting league contests (Narbonne controversy). Also a proposal for new mercy rule in football. Running clock in third quarter when margin reaches 42 points. A proposal for a Division IV in football. pic.twitter.com/zAfJs0Ojdi The coaches decided to forfeit after alleging failure of officials to investigate rule violations. The Los Angeles Unified School District later found evidence that seven players should be declared ineligible. Coaches at Banning, Carson and Narbonne have since resigned. Also on the agenda is a proposal to add a Division IV for the City Section football playoffs. There are already divisions for Open, Division I, II and III. There’s also a proposal from the Athletic Training Advisory Committee to require football teams to have medical professionals on each sideline during games as a safety measure. Currently only one medical professional is required at games. Another proposal would change the mercy rule in football, which presently means a running clock in the fourth quarter when a team has a 35-point lead. It would require a running clock whenever a team opens a 42-point margin beginning in the third quarter. All the proposals could become rules for next season if approved before the end of the school year. an LA City Section high school football league in Southern California that’s set to begin Friday night Banning has chosen to forfeit its game against Narbonne but the Pilots aren’t the only program ready to take a loss for what the rest of the league — clearly — believes is the appropriate action to get the City Section’s attention A letter signed by all the Marine League coaches from Carson San Pedro and Gardena to City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos was issued on September 25 stating they will all join in forfeiting games scheduled against Narbonne due to their strong belief that the program is illegally recruiting An excerpt of the letter reads: “Reports in the past of players being flown in from out of state to join an already stacked roster reinforce the belief that this is not an isolated incident We believe Narbonne's practices undermine the level playing field that athletics are supposed to offer these actions will create lasting damage to the reputation and integrity of our league.” and we believe that these steps are necessary to restore the principles of fairess The letter was brought to light Friday afternoon on Twitter/X “Until something is uncovered or they provide documents of something they’re saying someone has committed a crime without going through the proper channels.” Narbonne was put on probation from the postseason in 2019 and 2020 after its standout 2018 campaign that saw the Gauchos win the City Open Division championship The championship was later vacated by the City Section due to a violation of CIF eligibility rules involving an ineligible player participating in the 2018 playoffs The beginning of the letter from the Marine League coaches alludes to this era there have been persistent concerns for roughly a decade regarding Narbonne's recruitment practices specifically related to financial incentives and housing arrangements with allegations that athletes are being offered tens of thousands of dollars to play for their team.” Letter from Marine League coaches to LA City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos stating it will not participate against Narbonne in 2024 season The first challenge for the Gauchos (8-2) is to overcome seven weeks off Coach Malcolm Manuel said the team has been practicing and staying in shape waiting for the opportunity to return to the field  “I expect kids to make a little bit of mistakes but we’ll be a lot more ready to go than when we played Oaks Christian in a scrimmage and Garfield in the first game,” Manuel said “That’s one big thing — everyone is healthy.”  The coaches at Carson, Banning, Gardena and San Pedro forfeited games in protest of alleged rule violations against Narbonne but never submitted any evidence to the City Section They will end their boycott because not playing the Gauchos in the playoffs would result in being banned from the 2025 playoffs A semifinal meeting between Narbonne and Birmingham is possible The other openers have Gardena at Birmingham Banning at San Pedro and Garfield at Carson Still to be finalized is a site for the championship games El Camino College is among the sites being considered for the finals on Nov As for how the Gaucho players have been dealing with their inaction “They’ve actually had a good attitude about it The first few weeks were really hard on them They didn’t understand what it was like not being able to play games Defending champion Birmingham takes a 47-game City Section winning streak into the playoffs and hasn’t lost to a City team since the 2017 season Also announced on Saturday were the girls flag football playoff pairings. San Pedro received the No. 1 seed for the Open Division with Marshall No. 2. Birmingham won last year’s inaugural championship and is seeded No. 5. The Open Division begins Nov. 13. Divisional finals will be held at Crenshaw on Nov. 23. serious issue," Carson coach Mike Christensen said Everyone wants their program to draw talent but when there's monetary incentive and housing arrangements going on Narbonne has been in trouble in the past for competing with ineligible players. The program was banned from the postseason in 2019 and 2020 and had its 2018 City championship vacated after LAUSD's findings Marine League coaches are concerned the same behavior has returned "I think Narbonne is 2-13 in the Marine League in the past five seasons Now they have 22 transfers," said Banning coach Raymond Grajeda "When Narbonne was under investigation the first time instead of CIF telling us not to play the game A City Section spokesperson confirmed Narbonne has 24 football transfers this year Carson is scheduled to play Narbonne on November 1 in the last game of the regular season Christensen says they won't play the game unless action is taken "I have to uphold the commitment us coaches agreed to and I believe we are doing the right thing by not turning a blind eye to what's going in our league," Christensen added "If the CIF is going to be okay with NIL I'll start a Carson football collective San Pedro coach Corey Walsh and Gardena coach Monty Gilbreath both declined to comment on the matter Narbonne is scheduled to play Gardena October 25 San Pedro football coach Corey Walsh talks to an official before his team takes on Garfield on Friday no proof has been given to the City Section as of October 15 When asked why coaches haven't given evidence to the section Christensen and Grajeda both responded the exact same way Despite all 2024 transfers to Narbonne being vetted by the section office Gardena and San Pedro have taken a united step toward moral high ground that takes games away from players (including their own) in efforts to amplify their gripe If Narbonne can't find impromptu opponents it will roll into November's playoffs without playing a game since September 27 "The players are getting discouraged," said Narbonne coach Malcolm Manuel who received instruction from his administration not to comment on the allegations in particular The ripple effects of this decision span much wider than football What about the community that's woven through the fabric of high school football What about the band (or other entities) that practice for weeks to have their shine on Friday nights "We've thought about all that," Christensen said "This is how serious we are taking this our coaching staff at Carson is prepared to lose our jobs over this The school is getting flak from the district on this What about the fringe senior that needs as many opportunities on the field as possible to show he can play college football what if a young man or woman that belongs on or around the football field on Friday night — now suddenly with nothing to do — is an innocent bystander to violence We had to pay a hefty sum upwards of $9,000 for forfeiting that first game (on October 11) safety and competition within our league." Those scorelines allude to competitive games Corona Centennial has won 20 Big VIII League games in a row and is 70-1 in its last 71 league games The Huskies recently defeated Eastvale Roosevelt 61-0 and Vista Murrieta 63-0 Not a peep from the schools in that league about boycotting or safety Those coaches know the magic wand the Marine League coaches wield shouldn't exist because the ultimate life lesson in sports is unequivocally: 'things don't always go your way' The result of the letter has already forged two forfeit victories awarded to Narbonne against Banning and San Pedro It appears the final two games against Gardena and Carson will result in forfeit The City Section doesn’t have language in its bylaws that constitute enforcing a penalty toward programs for electing not to play league games there is language that says if a team elects not to play in the postseason It's very likely that most — if not all — Marine League teams will earn a berth to the Open Division playoffs It means a matchup with Narbonne is imminent we'd have to play the game," Christensen said these coaches will be justified down the road City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos is waiting with open arms for proof of the allegations But with just two weeks left in the regular season © 2025 ABG-SI LLC - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER the page you were looking for could not be found Carson, Banning, San Pedro and Gardena agreed to not play Narbonne in league play due to allegations surrounding Narbonne players receiving "monetary incentive" and "housing" The result of the boycott has left Narbonne (8-2) sidelined since September 27 when the Gauchos defeated King/Drew 35-0 But Saturday afternoon when the City Section announced the playoff pairings for the 2024 postseason it stamped a date Narbonne will finally play: November 15 long time," Narbonne coach Malcolm Manuel said It will be 49 days since Narbonne played a football game For the rest of the way no team can boycott a playoff contest or a one-year postseason ban will be imposed by the City Section office Narbonne will be the No. 1 seed in the Open Division and will take on No. 8 Dorsey (7-3) on Friday November 15 after a week off due to the field being just eight teams another date is inked if Narbonne wins its quarterfinal game; and that's a likely matchup with a Marine League foe in the semifinal or final on November 22 and November 29 or 30 The rest of the Open Division field looks like this: Print San Pedro informed the City Section that it will not play a scheduled Marine League game Friday against Narbonne joining Banning in giving the Gauchos a second consecutive forfeit victory Four Marine League coaches — Raymond Grajeda of Banning, Corey Walsh of San Pedro, Monty Gilbreath of Gardena and Mike Christensen of Carson — previously signed a letter addressed to City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos saying they would not play Narbonne until allegations of rule violations by the Harbor City school have been addressed Lagos said Wednesday she was informed by a San Pedro administrator that the Pirates would not be hosting Narbonne on Friday Narbonne will improve to 6-2 and is ranked No 1 in the City Section by CalPreps.com rankings Response by Narbonne coach. pic.twitter.com/0pQ9qNNrBM In a letter sent out Wednesday, Narbonne coach Malcolm Manuel denied his program has violated any rules. “I want to clarify that we are not involved in any activities that would jeopardize our eligibility, integrity, opportunities for our players, or our values we uphold,” he wrote. If schools continue to forfeit against Narbonne during the City Section Open Division playoffs, then they would face sanctions. Under City Section rules, once the brackets are released and a team forfeits, it would be ineligible for the playoffs next season. Also canceled was a scheduled flag football game between San Pedro and Narbonne for Friday. Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More LOS ANGELES — This month’s scholar athlete is Kody Guevarra of Nathaniel Narbonne High School and what may be even more impressive is his grades and volunteer work. Guevarra has a 4.4 GPA and plans on attending college with either an athletic or academic scholarship is scheduled to return to the field Friday night with a home game against Dorsey in the City Section Open Division playoffs Coach Malcolm Manuel has continued to have his team practice and stay in shape while waiting for this week to finally arrive Dorsey won the Coliseum League championship Manuel said there could be some mistakes by his team after weeks of inaction but the Gauchos are healthy and hungry as the No Freshman running back Derrick Jackson will be tough to stop Also uncertain is whether anything will come from a Los Angeles Unified School District investigation into potential rule violations by Narbonne which still would be able to play if any players were found ineligible this week But if Narbonne advances and an ineligible player were found after the game then Narbonne would be replaced in the playoff field The rest of the schedule for Friday’s quarterfinals is here. Gardena at Birmingham: The Patriots haven’t lost to a City Section team since 2017 and won City titles in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023. With a 47-game section winning streak, they started the season being the underdog after going 0-4 in nonleague games against Southern Section opponents. But a group of young players have gotten better, and they have one of the best running backs in Dredon Fowles. Birmingham will have to deal with Gardena running back Xavier Grant. The pick: Birmingham. Banning at San Pedro: These two teams went into overtime at the Coliseum on Oct. 18, and San Pedro won 34-33. Stopping Steven Perez of Banning will be the Pirates’ challenge. The pick: San Pedro. Garfield at Carson: The Bulldogs probably deserve to be in Division I, but they have a history of being an Open Division team and certainly can’t be overlooked offensively with sophomore Ceasar Reyes running the ball. Carson won the Marine League games it played and, like Birmingham, has a group of improving young players. The pick: Carson. Cleveland at Eagle Rock: The Cavaliers knocked off Bell with a strong defensive performance and balance on offense in the first round. They’ll need to do the same against Eagle Rock quarterback Liam Pasten, who has passed for more than 2,500 yards. The pick: Eagle Rock. Palisades at North Hollywood: The Huskies are unbeaten and keep winning with their double-wing attack. Palisades has a rising quarterback in Jack Thomas. Can North Hollywood play well enough on defense to win? The pick: Palisades. Franklin at King/Drew: Franklin pulled off the biggest upset of the opening round, eliminating No. 3-seeded Venice. King/Drew has made progress after its usual slow start. The pick: Franklin. Westchester at Kennedy: Junior quarterback Diego Montes continues to be a standout in running and passing for the Golden Cougars. Westchester has lots of offensive weapons in running backs Justen Key and Landon Davis. There will be lots of points scored. The pick: Kennedy. Angelou at Arleta: Erik Favela had a big game offensively and defensively last week for Arleta in eliminating defending Division III champion Jordan. Angelou has a talented running back in Nicholas Quintanilla. The pick: Arleta. Wilson at South Gate: Wilson has embraced the double wing, running the ball again and again. South Gate has more balance and was toughened up playing in the Eastern League. The pick: Wilson. Verdugo Hills at Chatsworth: The Chancellors’ offensive line has been performing well and creating opportunities for running backs Chris Saucedo and Jahari Moore. Sophomore quarterback Jered Smith is nearing 2,000 yards passing for Verdugo Hills. The pick: Chatsworth. Sylmar at El Camino Real: Receiver Rafael Cortez has been delivering for El Camino Real. Quarterback Jacob McDonald leads Sylmar. The pick: El Camino Real. Washington Prep at Panorama: It’s rematch time. Panorama defeated the Generals 61-37 in the second game of the season. Washington Prep stunned top-seeded Poly 33-26 last week. The pick: Panorama. Fremont at Los Angeles: The Romans have standout linebacker Arturo Arguello, a four-year contributor with 134 tackles this season. Fremont has shown signs of life with consecutive wins over Dymally and Manual Arts. The pick: Los Angeles. Fulton at Chavez: It’s another rematch, with Chavez having beat Fulton last month 20-0. Fulton opened the playoffs with a 14-6 win over University. The pick: Chavez. Van Nuys at Taft: Seven wins this season is a huge improvement for a Van Nuys program that was 0-9, 2-8 and 4-7 the last three seasons. Carlos Herrera has passed for 20 touchdowns. Taft went 0-5 in the West Valley League but quarterback Nathan Swinson is showing improvement. The pick: Van Nuys. Four California high school football programs and their coaches have chosen to forfeit their games against rival Narbonne High over allegations of illegal recruiting and providing financial incentives to for players to transfer, according to a memo obtained by the Los Angeles Times The schools accuse Narbonne of offering athletes “tens of thousands of dollars to play for their team,” including housing arrangements. “Narbonne’s practice of fielding All-Star teams has, in the past, created significant safety concerns,” they added. “When these practices occurred previously, the sheer imbalance in team strength posed real risk to player’s safety, and we are seeing a similar situation develop now. In addition to this, Narbonne has had over 20 transfers since last season, further supporting concerns about their recruitment practices. … Reports in the past of players being flown in from out of state to join an already stacked roster reinforce the belief that this is not an isolated incident, but part of a broader strategy. We believe Narbonne’s practices undermine the level playing field that athletics are supposed to offer, and if allowed to continue, these actions will create lasting damage to the reputation and integrity of our league.” The four coaches have also proposed that the Los Angeles City Section either expel Narbonne from the league because of its alleged practices or allow the other schools to break off and form another league “where fairness and integrity are prioritized.” Top 101Field of 64 projectionPredicting College Baseball Tourney Hot 4Trump By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms and use of my personal information described therein The Gauchos program is not unfamiliar to this sort of controversy They were previously put on probation from the postseason in 2019 and 2020 after winning the City Open Division championship in 2018 That championship was later vacated by the City Section due to a violation of CIF eligibility rules involving an ineligible player participating in the 2018 playoffs Narbonne is off to a 5-2 start this season, led by a junior quarterback and Oklahoma commit Jaden O’Neal, who transferred in from Newport Harbor during the offseason. Despite the alleged recruiting violations, Narbonne has struggled on the field in recent years, finishing 4-7 in 2023, 6-7 in 2022, and 2-9 in 2021. During that time, they have a combined record of 3-10 against the four programs who have chosen to forfeit their future contests. Hot4Trump, Saban blastedNIL order ripped On3 is a registered trademark of On3 Media How to watch California high school playoff football: Narbonne vs November 29Data SkriveSan Pedro High School will take the field away from home versus Narbonne High School at 6:00 p.m How to watch San Pedro vs. Narbonne playoff high school footballSan Pedro and Narbonne will face off on Friday, November 29 at 6:00 p.m. PT. Don't miss out on any of the action with NFHS Network The NFHS Network gives you access to live high school sports around the country Follow your favorite team and never miss a game Watch Narbonne vs. San Pedro on NFHS! All NFHS Network events are available to watch online at www.NFHSnetwork.com and through the NFHS Network Mobile Apps for iOS and Android and our TV Apps for ROKU, Amazon Fire, Google TV and Apple TV. Four head coaches in the California prep ranks are taking a stand against a league opponent that they collectively believe are circumventing the rules who are members of the 5-team Marine League came out with a joint statement late last month where they represented their respective programs at the four other members of the league - San Pedro addressed to LA City Section Commissioner Victoria Lagos alleges a decade of concerns that they believe have been consistently ignored regarding a fellow league member - Narbonne HS Monty Gilbreath (Gardena) and Corey Walsh (San Pedro) allege that Narbonne has had over 20 transfers since last season and that financial incentives that are in the "tens of thousands of dollars" and housing arrangements are among the inducements being provided With the integrity of the league and principles of fair competition being undermined the coaches wrote that "decisive action must be taken," and they've proposed that Narbonne either be suspended from the league or the conference allow their four schools to break off and either form a new league or join a different league "where fairness and integrity are prioritized." the coaches and their programs are staging a boycott from playing Narbonne our programs deserve an even playign field safety and competition with our league," one of the final paragraphs of the letter reads before urging the office to investigate the matters Narbonne went 4-6 last fall and is 5-2 this fall including a forfeit win over Banning from last Friday night The remaining three coaches in the letter are set to see Narbonne in the final three weeks of the regular season See the full letter, courtesy of Eric Sondheimer Print There’s an urgency among Narbonne football players knowing the program won’t be eligible to compete in next year’s playoffs because of City Section sanctions for using ineligible players and the Gauchos earned the right to play on with a dominating 27-7 semifinal victory over defending champion Birmingham on Friday night ending the Patriots’ 48-game win streak against City Section opponents is set to play San Pedro in the Open Division championship game at El Camino College next Friday San Pedro was one of four Marine League teams that refused to play Narbonne this season taking a forfeit in protest of rule violations alleged by its coach and three other league coaches To say that the Narbonne players will be fired up next week to face the Pirates might be an understatement “That’s going to bring some fire,” Narbonne quarterback Jaden O’Neal said rallying from a 24-0 deficit to beat Carson 40-34 in overtime when quarterback Marcus Jeronymo completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to Elias Redlew Narbonne did what few schools have been able to do against Birmingham in playoff action since the 2019 season — dominate up front the Gauchos refused to let the speedy Dredon Fowles have any room to break loose Jamari Ladd rushed for 136 yards in 15 carries and scored two touchdowns The Patriots had virtually no passing game so it was pretty much over once they fell behind by two touchdowns was impressive with his speed on both sides of the ball He had an interception in the first quarter — one of three by the Gauchos — that led to an O’Neal touchdown run Birmingham closed to within 14-7 in the third quarter on a short touchdown run by Kevin Hawkins But the Gauchos’ defense got a fourth-down stop leading to touchdowns runs by Xavier Atkinson and Ladd The referee informed both teams that every player had been assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty serving as a warning that if anyone picked up another was given an ejection for picking up another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty Three more Narbonne players also were ejected Jamari Ladd. pic.twitter.com/2WvDKGAJ1K The referee said the pregame penalties were assessed in response to what he described as concerns about the players’ behavior “Extremely,” Narbonne coach Malcolm Manuel said afterward when asked if he was disappointed by the ejections It will be just another challenge for the Gauchos who had seven players declared ineligible before the playoffs began Because a Los Angeles Unified School District investigation was not finished before playoff seedings Narbonne was allowed to stay in the eight-team tournament but will be ineligible for next year’s playoffs The Gauchos also went seven weeks without playing any games because of the Marine League coaches’ boycott That leaves the players focused and determined to make the most of this playoff run “To be able to keep on is something special,” said O’Neal The last team to beat the Patriots was Narbonne in a 2018 playoff game but the Gauchos forfeited the victory because of an ineligible player Last season Birmingham defeated Narbonne 57-19 Freshman tackler from Narbonne Xavier Atkinson. End of 3, Narbonne 14, Birmingham 7 pic.twitter.com/8bz3iAz9Xy The Gauchos have improved considerably with new talent, including Atkinson, a freshman who made plays as a running back and defensive back. Print The view of downtown Los Angeles at night from Cathedral High’s football stadium should be a tourist stop You see glorious skyscrapers and flickering lights A once-proud program that was a City Section power until it crumbled in 2020 after its coach resigned a title was taken away for rules violations and players fled en masse came through with its biggest win since then “It’s significant,” coach Malcolm Manuel said “They learned they can turn the corner when they put their minds to it.” Narbonne (3-2) gave the City Section a rare victory against a quality Southern Section opponent and served notice it’s on the way back Qb Jaden O’Neal and freshman running back Derrick Jackson delivered the biggest win for Narbonne since the rebuild began in 2021 with 35-31 win over Cathedral. pic.twitter.com/MWxg58uWrU Standing in the middle of the field was freshman running back Derrick Jackson who couldn’t be stopped in the second half Drones at Dodger Stadium seen from Cathedral High. Photo by Craig Weston. pic.twitter.com/NOnNknhV5A It was a wild second half that featured six lead changes after Narbonne led 14-10 at halftime caught a 17-yard pass from Jaden Jefferson to give Cathedral a 17-14 lead in the third quarter Jackson ran 14 yards for a touchdown and a 21-17 Narbonne lead Cathedral (4-1) regained the lead at 24-21 on De’Andre Dukes’ five-yard touchdown run Quarterback Jaden O’Neal put Narbonne on top 28-24 with a seven-yard touchdown run Then Hale caught a six-yard touchdown pass with 6:02 left for a 31-28 Cathdral lead Xavier Owens gave Narbonne the lead for good with an 18-yard touchdown reception from O’Neal with 3:05 left Kimani Tuitasi delivered a sack on fourth down with 37 seconds left to clinch Narbonne’s victory Jaden Jefferson to Quentin Hale. The sophomore phenoms. Cathedral takes 17-14 lead over Narbonne. pic.twitter.com/vQmCCRMQib “His legs and running opened the passing game,” O’Neal said of Jackson. O’Neal, an Oklahoma commit, started using his legs to open up the offense just like Jefferson did for Cathedral. The two Jadens were hard to contain. Jefferson passed for 285 yards. O’Neal had a 74-yard touchdown pass to Da’Mari Hall to start the game. “You’re a beast,” a Cathedral coach told Jackson afterward. The game also will be remembered for the extraordinary number of penalties called. Some of the officials could need Tommy John surgery after all the yellow flags thrown. Narbonne was penalized 15 times and Cathedral 16 times. They combined for more than 300 yards in penalty yardage. While Narbonne’s victory was big for the City Section, Leuzinger pulled off the biggest upset of the night in defeating Santa Margarita 14-13 under first-year coach Jason Miller. Journee Tonga rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns. He scored on a three-yard run with 36 seconds left and Julian Paniagua made the conversion kick. Leuzinger is 4-0. Miller said it was the school’s biggest victory since winning a CIF title in 1985. “Our backs were against the wall the entire game and we walled up,” he said. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The 5-star junior quarterback committed to Oklahoma put together a stretch of football in the second quarter of the Los Angeles City Section Open Division final that was like something out of a video game O’Neal threw four consecutive touchdowns in as many possessions of 59 64 and 36 yards to anchor Narbonne’s 75-31 championship victory over Marine League foe San Pedro at El Camino College Friday night Narbonne won its 11th City title in program history The CIF State office will release the SoCal Regional bowl games this Sunday “We have the ‘24-hour rule’,” O’Neal explained “We celebrate this one and then start preparing for (the next opponent) Sunday night O’Neal threw for 285 yards and four touchdowns in the first half en route to a final tally of 396 yards on 14 of 21 passing for six touchdowns in a highly emotional game along with all the other teams in the Marine League boycotted playing Narbonne during the regular season due to the belief Narbonne was violating rules Carson coach Mike Christensen said, “… when there's monetary incentive and housing arrangements going on. It has to stop." (STORY) San Pedro was able to avoid the Marine League tilt We all could feel the intensity in practice but when it game time we were able to control our emotions so we could come out and do our thing,” O’Neal said Naz Williams had 159 yards receiving with two touchdowns Ose Enosegbe and Ernest Nunley each caught on touchdown to give O’Neal his six scoring tosses The Narbonne defense and special teams contributed Trey’Shaun Jackson had an 84-yard punt return to give Narbonne a 27-10 lead before SMU commit Mark Iheanachor had an interception for a touchdown late in the second quarter to push the lead to 41-10 scoring a field goal on its opening drive and later scoring on a 18-yard connection from Seth Solorio to Elias Redlew to take a 10-7 lead over Narbonne at the 11:52-mark in the second quarter But Narbonne would go on to score 48 straight before San Pedro would score again which was requested by Narbonne’s coaching staff and school admin admin felt like the emotions were too high and if any players were to get into an altercation it would result in a suspension for next week’s regional bowl game NEWS: The City Section has told the media there will be no handshake after the conclusion of the Narbonne-San Pedro game.Narbonne’s request but my guess is coach Malcolm Manuel doesn’t want anything to pop off and kids get suspended for next week’s bowl game The list includes only those players who have played in an NFL game See where it ranks among other schools in the state here Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com Writes about football and basketball as a Senior Writer and hosts "The Nick Bartlett S.. Aidin Ebrahimi covers the NBA for SuperWest Sports Spencer McLaughlin contributes videos to SuperWest Sports and is the host of "Locke.. Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formu.. Writes about track and field and Oregon football as a columnist for Super.. writes about various topics for SuperWest sports and only Carson is left to forfeit its game Friday Colts coach Michael Christensen says it’s happening The only problem with the coaches’ stance — and it’s a big one — is that no evidence of wrongdoing has been produced Their principle — stand up against alleged cheating — is courageous at a time few want to go on the record and risk getting disciplined by their administration for a controversial stance There’s reason to be suspicious because Narbonne was put on probation, banned from the playoffs and had a City Section title taken away in 2019 for using an ineligible player The program was investigated by the Los Angeles Unified School District got caught up in an FBI and IRS investigation involving money donated by a booster for equipment Narbonne has received 24 transfers to its program “No one has given us anything to contradict the paperwork.” there’s fire” is meaningless unless proven players at Narbonne have been stuck practicing and practicing while hoping for a resolution The fact adults have been unable to come up with a solution is an epic failure on their part Clearly the Marine League coaches decided it’s the future they are most worried about Narbonne had separated itself under Douglas who won nine City titles and two state titles and was competing against top Southern Section schools Enter a former Banning junior varsity coach who took his lumps when going 2-9 in 2021 (including a 49-0 loss to San Pedro) and 6-7 in 2022 (including a 46-7 loss to Carson) The Gauchos aren’t close to being as strong as the old Narbonne teams so the decision to boycott playing them has nothing to do with safety reasons It’s based on concerns that they might be headed to powerhouse status again resulting in players from all over wanting to play for them families have a choice of what school to attend they can select a school for athletic reasons Banning and Gardena all have transfers and say it’s not about transfers The LAUSD and City Section aren’t afraid to investigate on-the-record allegations. The coaches know that. Hawkins High’s program was investigated in 2017 the coach fired and all the transfers stopped The fact LAUSD has failed to resolve this latest predicament is shocking Forfeits in the City Section have a long, disturbing history, starting with the 1977 season when Lincoln refused to come out of the locker room at halftime after trailing 63-0 to Wilson It launched a national debate about who was right who was wrong and when is quitting allowed for safety reasons Are Marine League coaches really saying it’s OK for their players to forfeit to Narbonne for safety reasons One or two of these boycotting teams could end up facing Narbonne in the City Section Open Division playoffs They certainly will agree to play because forfeiting a playoff game would result in the program being banned from next year’s playoffs The regular season isn't guaranteed, but l'm still committed in the classroom no matter what. 4.0 GPA #StudentAthlete #BB4L🔰#BOOMERS⭕️⭕️NER pic.twitter.com/QW6qftDVBx The one blessing in disguise could be Narbonne players using their time off to focus on school Quarterback Jaden O’Neal let everyone know he’s got a 4.0 grade-point average this semester Narbonne will win the Marine League championship with four forfeit wins and probably be seeded No A request to interview Narbonne players was declined Manuel also has declined to speak on the record other than his Oct 9 statement denying his program was involved in any activities that would jeopardize eligibility It’s a big mess with problems on both sides. The adults need to have their own conclave in a locked room, with no cellphones. Nobody gets out until it’s worked out. Looking for the white smoke could take time. Brandon is now a starting senior outfielder for his dad while brother Will is a sophomore on the team Leadoff double for Brandon Dillon, son of Narbonne coach Bill Dillon. That means dinner on him. pic.twitter.com/Ec0tqIY5gF Narbonne is 8-8 and 5-2 in the Marine League Sophomore outfielder Jake Kim of Harvard-Westlake has hit five home runs one of the best power performances for the first part of Mission League play in years The @ServiteHS boys re-break their Orange County record in the 4x100 at the Trabuco Hills Invitational in 40.56 City Section is holding a silent auction before its Hall of Fame induction ceremony. It's open for bidding until Sunday. https://t.co/eQarSYKanH This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com. Print Defending City Section Open Division baseball champion Bell is trying this week to put itself in good position for a top-four seeding in the playoffs but the Eagles were beaten by Narbonne 8-2 on Thursday in a nonleague game Pitcher Evan Mora threw a complete-game four-hitter and Twaine Meadows finished with three hits and two RBIs Bell fell to 10-3 and faces another Marine League team on Saturday in Banning Corona 21, King 0: The Panthers (14-0) recorded their 12th shutout in 14 games. Gavin Flores hit two home runs among four hits and had four RBIs. Anthony Murphy had a home run, four hits and four RBIs. Seth Hernandez threw three scoreless innings and had a triple and double. Corona heads next week to North Carolina to play in the National High School Baseball Invitational. Norco 3, Bonita 2: Dylan Steward had two RBIs for Norco. Newbury Park 5, Agoura 4: Carson Richter and Cole Munyon each had two hits for the Panthers. Westlake 1, Calabasas 0: Blake Miller delivered a walk-off single in the eighth inning for Westlake. Luke Szymanski threw seven scoreless innings for Calabasas. Caden Atkinson matched him, striking out eight with no walks for the Warriors. Thousand Oaks 7, Oaks Christian 3: Brett Warner had a three-run double to lead the Lancers. La Mirada 8, Warren 3: Travis Friend and Bear Calvo hit home runs during a five-run seventh inning to power the Matadores. Aquinas 2, Cypress 1: The Falcons (12-1) won the National Classic championship. Jayden Perez threw five scoreless innings and Gavin Egan picked up the save. Chase Davidson had a home run and Aquinas turned four double plays. Sylmar 9, North Hollywood 1: Mike Andrade had three hits for Sylmar. Poly 3, San Fernando 2: The Parrots stayed unbeaten in the Valley Mission League. San Pedro 9, Carson 3: The Pirates handed a rare defeat to defending City champion Carson in a Marine League showdown. Rylee Gardner hit a three-run home run. Michelle Carew Classic quarters are set for Friday at Peralta Canyon Park in Anaheim.Rosary vs. Los Alamitos, 1 p.m.Fullerton vs. JSerra, 1 p.m.Orange Lutheran vs. Chula Vista Mater Dei Catholic, 3:15 p.m.Norco vs. Mountain View Saint Francis, 3:15 p.m. Orange Lutheran 9, Canyon View 4: Freshman Rylee Silva improved to 7-0 with 11 strikeouts in six innings. Kai Minor had a home run and three RBIs for the Lancers (12-1). Westlake 5, Newbury Park 4: Liv Tirsch hit a walk-off home run for Westlake in the eighth inning. “Let’s not get caught up in the other stuff,” one referee remarked, seemingly in reference to the boycott of Narbonne’s boys’ team by its Marine League rivals. San Pedro forfeited its Friday contest against Narbonne, a week after Banning did the same. The girls of San Pedro (18-2) and Narbonne (9-8) ignored the noise, with the Pirates coming back from a 12-point deficit to claim a 13-12 victory. After rumblings that the flag football game also would be canceled, Narbonne coach Sherrelle Holmes and San Pedro coach Vic Tuberosi spoke this week to ensure it would not. San Pedro joined Banning in forfeiting a game against Narbonne in protest of alleged rule violations involving the Gauchos. “Vic and I did a great job keeping the focus on the girls and highlighting the special things that flag football has brought,” Holmes said. “I’m glad we didn’t have another distraction because that was clearly a distraction that neither team had nothing to do with. Hopefully, they figure their stuff out, but it has nothing to do with us — what we’re trying to accomplish.” Last week, four Marine League football coaches — Banning’s Raymond Grajeda, San Pedro’s Corey Walsh, Gardena’s Monty Gilbreath and Carson’s Mike Christensen — alleged in a letter that Narbonne violated league rules. The teams claim they will forfeit games against the Gauchos until City Section Commissioner Vicky Lagos or the L.A. Unified School District takes action against the program. If Lagos does, it would not be the first time Narbonne faced punishment. In 2019, the City Section reprimanded the Gauchos for fielding an ineligible player after investigating the program. Coach Malcolm Manuel, a former Banning junior-varsity coach hired by Narbonne in 2021, released a statement Wednesday denying the allegations. “I want to clarify that we are not involved in any activities that would jeopardize our eligibility, integrity, opportunities for our players, or the values we uphold,” Manuel wrote. “Our athletes have submitted all necessary paperwork, which was thoroughly reviewed and cleared.” Tuberosi, who is in his second season coaching San Pedro flag football, said he does not want the boys’ and girls’ teams to be in the same drama, emphasizing the camaraderie in flag football so far. “I don’t want the girls to know football like that,” he said. “At first, when I thought we would have to cancel, I was a little upset and disappointed. I think we should be differentiated from [the boys]. The girls’ game is completely different.” San Pedro senior Giuliana Sutrin, who made a juggling pick-six to secure the one-point win, said playing Friday showed what San Pedro is about. “It took the team coming together, realizing that we need to come together, hype each other up on the sideline, on the field,” Sutrin said. “Just be resilient.” Pacifica High's offense and defense each had signature moments during the Tritons' run to a state bowl game was still waiting for that third phase to kick into gear in Week 15 two blocked extra-point attempts and a kickoff fumble recovery later Pacifica had beat visiting Narbonne 37-20 in a stunning special teams display to win the CIF-State Division 2AA regional title and advance to the state championship and Moon was soaked from a Gatorade bath while toting yet another piece of championship hardware continue to improve,” Moon said of the Tritons’ special teams growth The win sets up a heavyweight bout with Grant High of Sacramento (11-3) — the state champion in 2022 in Division 3AA and runner-up last year in 2AA — this Friday at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo The block party began early and kept rocking all night but the most clutch deflection of the game belonged to Juju Hernandez and Budder Aina The pair’s blocked punt and scoop-and-score Senior Jeremiah Penny’s fumble recovery on the ensuing kickoff return from Narbonne was the back-breaker setting the Tritons up to score their final points of the game on an Isaac Magana field goal More: Newbury Park football's perfect season comes to imperfect ending in CIF-State regional they were blocking up front the personal protectors and I had a free open space,” Hernandez said Pacifica’s late-season coming-out party on special teams parallels its transformation from a below-.500 underdog in October to state title contender in early December Moon said everything the Tritons (11-4) have accomplished including winning the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 title last week began with grit and a determination to block out the noise it has just been a constant battle,” Moon said “To get back with this team — where we came from where we are at now — is just super special turn it around and have that killer mindset and continue to win Credit for the infectious special teams start went to juniors Anthony Macias and Julian Villegas who blocked Narbonne’s first extra-point attempt and its first punt Quarterback Dominic Duran linked up with sophomore sensation Alijah Royster over the middle of the field on just the fifth play of the game to open the scoring Royster gashed the defense for 48 yards and spun out of a tackle near the 10-yard line to put Pacifica up 7-0 early When Narbonne answered with a short screen pass from quarterback Jaden O’Neal to running back Treyshaun Jackson that went 65 yards it was Macias who got in front of the extra-point attempt to keep the lead The play was just a small glimpse at the sort of impact the special teams would have over the course of the night Villegas blocked the first punt of the night The ball bounced back into the end zone where Max Magana leapt on it to give Pacifica the 14-6 advantage there is no going back,” Royster said of Villegas’ blocked punt the Tritons defense forced another three-and-out it was senior Dejuan Colvin who got through to the punter and deflected the kick Colvin said Villegas’ blocked punt to start the game gave the rest of the punt return unit the inspiration to go get more “Just knowing they are weaker in that spot and seeing my other linemen getting a block pulling it down out of the air to set up an Isaac Magana field goal from 32 yards out to put Pacifica up 17-6 22 and 21 yards to go along with 4-of-4 extra-point attempts The junior won a kick-off in practice against freshman David Carranza last week “Everything is a competition at this school.” O’Neal and Narbonne capitalized on Pacifica’s sole turnover on the night with a scoring drive followed by a 2-point conversion that came via O’Neal’s legs bringing Narbonne within a field goal of Pacifica putting his hand on the extra-point attempt and deflecting it wide left to keep the game tied the Pacifica offense put points on the board when it needed to most Duran and Royster piled up yards on a churning 15-play drive from the 31-yard line to the end zone It ended in a touchdown pass from Duran to Isaiah Dillon to put Pacifica up 27-20 with 2:30 to go in the third quarter breaking up a number of key passes while playing opposite of Oklahoma commit O’Neal 2 tackles for loss) and Nick Lavizzo (10 total tackles 2 tackles for loss) anchored things near the line of scrimmage 18 total tackles) was a two-way monster for the Tritons “We have been working for four years and came up short every time The Tritons have one more week before their first shot at a state title since 2019 In breaking down the huddle on their home field Moon’s message to the team was one of perseverance “we might as well win the whole damn thing.” Dominic Massimino is a staff writer for the Star He can be reached at dominic.massimino@vcstar.com follow @vcsdominic on Twitter and Instagram Oregon commit Seven McGee just couldn't stay away from home After transferring back to California for Narbonne High School, ranked No. 10 in the preseason Super 25 rankings McGee told the Democrat and Chronicle he's coming back to East for the long haul "I felt like East High School is the place for me and it's the place I would love to finish out my high school career," McGee said I love my city and I feel like this year is going to be the year for East to rise." The Eagles went 7-2 and reached the Section V Class A semifinals in 2018 He was a first team All-Greater Rochester selection in football and was named the Rochester City Athletic Conference defensive MVP The 5-foot-9 dynamic athlete finished with more than 1,000 all-purpose yards 100 tackles and two interceptions for the Eagles which also landed him All-American honors from MaxPreps More Football!Suspect arrested in shooting of Norland High School football quarterback coach Bear makes broken-field run during California high school football practice The soon-to-be junior, committed to Oregon, holds offers from Syracuse, Ole Miss This is the fourth time McGee has transferred high schools and while that may raise some eyebrows the coaches at East speak highly of his character on and off the field "He's a kid that wants to play in front of his mom He already knows he's going to spend his college days on the west coast and he has some pretty secure offers," co-head coach Steve Flagler said "He's comfortable with those and people know he can play "He's a sophomore in high school and I couldn't even imagine being out there on my own McGee was still able to turn heads during spring football and had a number of impressive showings at offseason camps across California "(Being there) helped me get better in a lot of ways and helped me find more ways to succeed It was good to get the work in," McGee said 3 ranked running back in the 2021 class according to 247Sports is already back in Rochester and planned to enroll in school on Friday Heading into next season under Flagler and James Vann the Eagles appear to be one of the early contenders in Class A Rising senior Freddie Brock has picked up Division I offers from Albany Delaware State and interest from other big name programs while quarterback Anthony Gilbert and wide receiver Mike Maxwell are also poised for even more success but he's the best player in the state and that pumps us up on another level People are going to have higher expectations now," Vann said More News!St. John Bosco is looking to rebuild and reload after top-10 national finish last year Tyler Herro's new stomach tattoos include his high school jersey With McGee back in the fold that only improves East's chances of winning its first sectional title since 2005 "I think we could do a lot this year and accomplish some things we couldn't last year," McGee said the positive offseason development of younger players and the memory from last year's 39-8 loss to Irondequoit still fresh in their mind the Eagles will have plenty of motivation this summer "We're at the point now where we won a sectional game and were able to get (the monkey) off our backs but we clearly weren't ready for that second-round game," Flagler said Having gone through it one year plus having a full offseason with Seven will be key." The Eagles open the season at home at 6 p.m 6 against Eastridge before taking on Irondequoit in Week 2 for a sectional semifinal rematch SBLive has already previewed the best players in the City Section and highlighted the best games week-to-week Here is the City Section Top 10 preseason rankings as of Sunday Do-it-All is going to Kameryn Hurst at running back and defensive back Rose believes the team will struggle early with a lot of young players that will grow Freshman QB Daniel Kakooza will be the starter due to Kevin Hawkins having to serve a sit-out period and transfer QB Jack Thomas from Loyola is eligible to play immediately after an approved valid change of residence Xavier Grant is an All-City-caliber player that could get the Panthers to a second straight Open Division playoff berth but believes running back Jayden Garcia can lead the Bulldogs on offense and defense Cassidy says he's got more depth than usual which is always a good sign in the City Eagle Rock: Liam Pasten and Jonas Leal-Paz Venice: Jaiden Noel returns for a sophomore campaign after playing in 12 games as a freshman Roosevelt: Coach Aldo Parral says his team didn't lose any impact players including QB Manny Madrigal and RB Alan Ortiz crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.